A Valentine on His Day
by Master Tauren Chieftain
Summary: Tifa comes to stay with Vincent on Valentine's Day when Cloud 'abandons' her, and it starts a new adventure for the team!T for violence, torture, and other dark themes. Tiffentine, Clorith, Yuffaki
1. Popcorn Moogle

Vincent Valentine spent every Valentine's Day the same way. Weep for Lucrecia for a few hours, then hop by Kentucky Firaga Chocobo for some Popcorn Moogles. Then, he would sleep until the next holiday, or until someone woke him, which was surprisingly often. Betweeen Cloud asking for a favor, Tifa giving him advice on how to live his own life, Barret telling him about some "dope fly shit happ'nin' in Edge", or Cid telling him to get the fuck up because they were pulling off some stupid get rich quick scheme using his airship. Which he has replaced 5 times in the past year. Anyway, this Valentine's Day was no different, except that he decided to eat it in Nibelheim. 'Well, another Valentine's Day and no progress. I feel as though I carry Meteor itself on my back.' He sat on the well and took his first bite of Mog, and noticed someone crying on the stoop of Shinra Mansion. Feeling as though this may be a sign of something, he walked over to the person. "Tifa?" Vincent asked the person.

"Go away!" she responded.

"What's wrong?" Vincent asked politely. Maybe he could fix her problem?

"Well, it's just that..." Tifa sobbed out, and then wiped her nose on a tissue Vincent had given her. "Cloud's out on another delivery again, but he promised me something else. That we would..."

"Say no more, Tifa." Vincent reply was a soothing dove. "You know he would be with you tonight if he could."

"Yes, I guess your right." Tifa almost completely stopped crying, and hugged Vincent. "Thanks, Vince." Vincent had never been in a situation such as this, and said the only words he could think of at the moment. "Want a piece?" He offered the box of Moogle to Tifa. Tifa graciously took one, and said, "If only Cloud could be more like you are now." Tifa draped her arm around Vincent's shoulder, as did Vincent. "What did Cloud say he would do?"

Tifa immediately blushed. "He said he would... er... go with me to a fancy resturant." Vincent's thin lips curled into a smile.

"He shouldn't make promises he know that he can't keep." They sat there for a moment, in the full moon, eating Popcorn Moogle. 'How ironic. A Valentine's Day that I spend with a loved one.' he thought, when suddenly, he blurted out, "Where is he delivering to?"

"Someplace around the middle of the old Midgar." Tifa responded. "Why?"

Vincent thought. 'Tifa would be so hurt by the truth, but I must. The demon within me wills me.' "Tifa?" he asked again.

"What is it?"

"Is it possible that Cloud could be at Aerith's Church?" Vincent's voice was laden with regret, for this could mentally destroy Tifa.

"Well, possibly."

Vincent's demon compelled him, "Well let's take a look, shall we?" He pulled out a goblin nightscope, and aimed it at Midgar. He saw something that he could not show to Tifa. Cloud was praying, in the middle of the flowers. His demon thought for him. **'Let's just tell her!'** 'No, he thought back. "I can't! It would destroy Tifa.' Too bad, because Tifa was already looking through the scope. She saw what he did, and started crying again. Only this time, her tears were of blood. "Tifa." Vincent wrapped his protective, yet tattered red cape over Tifa's form.

"Come on, let's dry your tears. It's okay, although..." Vincent had not been in this situation, either. And he had no fried moogle to save him. He guided her inside, and grabbed a bunch of towels. He dried her tears with them, and held Tifa in his embrace. "May I spend the night with you?" Vincent was grabbed by this particular request, and quickly replied, "Yes. But I'm afraid we have no beds, and only my coffin." Tifa blushed a bit, and then asked him, "May I join you in the coffin?" Vincent replied, "Yes." So he led her to the basement, past the ladder, to the coffin. It was traditionally painted black, and made of ebony. Vincent opened the coffin, and Tifa walked in. Then Vincent walked in, and closed the coffin front.

* * *

Cloud sat in a praying position in the middle of Aerith's flowers. "Aerith, I feel humbled by your presence. I fear I have made a dreadful mistake, however." Aerith responded, "Cloud, you will have plenty of time to spend with me after you die. Spend your time alive without my presence. We'll have all of the time in the world after you die." Cloud thought for a moment, then said back, "Well, I need to get back to Tifa. Tell Zack that I said hello. Happy Valentine's Day." He walked outside of the church, and hopped on his fenrir, and sped away. 'I hope Tifa's still at the bar.' he thought as he rode off.

* * *

And so, ironically, Cloud accepted the disappearance of Tifa as a sign to stay with Aerith. Tifa and Vincent slept in the cramped coffin for a month, until Barret was gonna wake Vincent up for some 'shit scheme of Cid's that he was gonna try and get Vincent to join' He walked downstairs, and opened the coffin. Vincent immediately awoke, and asked, having the full knowledge that Tifa was right under him and that she was still asleep, and that Barret saw this as well, said, "What in the hell do you want?"

"Damn, Vince. You got it on?"

Vincent sighed, "It's not that. Cloud abandoned him on Valentine's Day, so I took her in. She was so sad, and angry at Cloud."

"Wow, and I thought you were the only one who can sleep that long."

"Well, what's the scheme today. I want to get back with Tifa, as the air is stale and cold."

Barret looked him in the eye, and then said, "What's yo big deal? Actin' like a f-, well, Cid's found phlogiston in the Northern Crater. He needs us to help drill it."

"Sorry, I have enough poisoning. I'll turn into Chaos the second I get there. And what is phlogiston?"

"You were sleepin'. About a week ago, phlogiston was both discovered and used in weapon forging. It can make another Ultima Weapon, or a Death Penalty."

"Like I said, I must sleep. Tifa's warmth and comfort awaits."

"Now hold on a sec, foo! What do you m-" Vincent fell back in to the coffin and closed the front of the coffin.

About a week later, Tifa awoke. "Vince?"

"Yes?"

"What do you think Cloud's doing? I wanna see."

"Tifa, I'm not getting out. At least not for another week."

"Then at least give me an idea, what do you think he's doing?"

Vincent's demon took over. **"Probably either weeping over you, or has forgotten about you."**

"Really? He's probably in shambles. I should probably talk to him."

The next time Vincent regained his senses, he was completely naked, as was Tifa. 'Damn Chaos.' He got out, now realizing that apparantly, he had another reason to exist. In one day, he set up the entire mansion, and furnished it. He planned to surprise Tifa the morning after by proposing to her. He found love in her, as Cloud might've before he found Aerith. He loved her. Simple as that.

* * *

Cloud thought back on what had happened. It had been one month, since he'd gone to Aerith's Church, not found Tifa, and gotten piss drunk the next day instead of looking for her. It'd been his fault, as was Zack's death, Aerith's death, Midgar's being destroyed, and now this. Tifa's death. After another week of searching, he came to the conclusion that Tifa was dead. He went to the spot where Aerith died, and drowned himself in the Lifestream. He would be with Aerith in the Promised Land, forever.

* * *

Cid's plan worked, and Barret, Yuffie, Nanaki, and he set up a blacksmith forging Ultimate Weapons. This went on for about a month, and is still prospering currently, although Cid also has a pilot school going. Cid and Shera became happily married a day after Barret told Cid back that Vincent wasn't in. He would've told Cloud that Tifa was there, but he's an evil bastard on the inside.

The End, for now

A/N:Currently is: the day Cloud drowned himself, the day Vincent fixed up the house, and the currently in the business. I might continue this if I get a certain number of reviews/hits. Review!


	2. Cloud needs Aerith

Cid yelled at a pilot, "What the fuck are you doing, man?" A young, red haired pilot nervously flipped switches on his plane dashboard. He had entered Cid's school of pilotry to start an air delivery service, and was now severely regretting it. The Tiny Bronco sputtered to the ground slowly, damaging the landing gears heavily as it landed.

"Oh my god! In all my fuckin' years of flying this fuckin' ship, you are the worst mother fuckin' engineer yet! You fail!" The pilot ran away, crying. Cid lit a cigarette, and took a long drag from it. Barret walked towards him, wielding an Ultimate Weapon in his hands. He had learned to carry it very well, and could now do many of Cloud's famous tricks with it.

"'Sup, fool!" Cid stared blankly at the sky, and then responded, "Where's Cloud? He hasn't been here all day, and he's makin' me worry."

Barret heartily laughed, and then replied in a joyful tone, "You? Worry? That's such an awkward combination! Although I know what you're talking about. He makes me worry a bit too." Nanaki ran towards the two on the tarmac at full speed, and he ducked just as a shuriken flew over his head.

"You bastard! How dare you steal my phlogiston!" _A typical lovers struggle. Ever since Nanaki fell for the lass... _

"And what happened with Vince?" he followed up his question.

"He said that Tifa's warmth and comfort awaits. I think he meant that they were sleeping in that coffin together." Barret responded with a tone that can only be explained as flamboyant.

"Come back here so I can kill you!" Yuffie's childish screams echoed across Rocket Town. Cid thought, _So that means that... Cloud's abandoned the Teef? And she fell for Vincent? That's a damn strange turn of events._

Cid then reached out, and grabbed Yuffie by the collar. "Relax, damn it! It's not like we don't have another thousand tons or so stored up!" Yuffie sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Come, Nanaki." Nanaki followed the ninja as they headed towards the buggy. Their warehouse was all of the way in Nibelheim.

He took another long drag from his cigarette, then through the inch long butt on the ground, and stamped it out. "Well," he responded, "I've got to prepare the festivities. I'm gettin' married today, and this is my last scheduled lesson." Barret nodded, and started running for the Tiny Bronco. Barret was a great repairman, now that he learned from Cid.

* * *

Cloud walked to the altar on which Aerith died. He had come a long way from Nibelheim to see her one last time, before he left the waking world. 

"Hello Aerith." He went up to the altar, in a praying position and, in his mind, Aerith responded.

'Cloud, why are you here?'

He hesitated, and then replied, "Tifa's gone. I can't stand life without her. You and her were the reasons for life I had, and you and she are gone."

'Are you quite sure she's gone?' she asked with a duh sort of tone.

Cloud thought for a moment, and then answered, "Yes, I am sure of it. I could not find her, no matter where I looked."

'Well then, if you are unwilling to look, then you can commit suicide. But please just look for her once more?' Aerith was somewhat worried for him.

"You knew I was planning to come here and commit suicide?"

'Yes, Cloud.'

"Interesting... but look. She's dead. I've looked on all four corners of the earth for her, to no avail. You are my last angel, the last person that I have to keep me from losing my mind. And the only way to see you, truly, again, is to go to the Promised Land. And since I am not a spaceship designer, nor a Cetra, the only way to get there is through your guiding light. Please, Aerith, help me come to you."

Aerith was flattered by these words. _It seems like he's been thinking of this for a long time._ 'Okay, Cloud,' the Cetra angel replied, 'here's what you're going to do to join me in the Promised Land. But before you start this, are you sure you don't want to continue looking for her?'

"I am sure." Cloud answered with a metallic will. He would join his angel in a world.

'Okay then, Cloud,' Aerith nervously responded. She had never done this before, seeing as how it was a process just discovered for those Cetra who had human loved ones. "First, jump into the Lifestream. Next, go down to the Holy materia and grab it. Afterwards, swim to me, and hold my right hand with the Holy materia in your hand as well. You'll then have to fight... oh my."

"What is it?" Cloud heard a challenge in her hesitation.

'Well, remember Gi Nittak? Picture him the size of 3 Ruby Weapons.' Aerith was very scared.

"I think I can handle it, what then?" Cloud's sense of optimism and confidence surpassed all other.

'It will compress itself into a black hole of sorts, pulling everything in.' Aerith turned a page in her Cetra spellbook. 'That's where you jump into it. If I set up the ritual right, you will appear next to me in the Promised Land.'

"Okay, Aerith, I'm ready. Are you ready?" Cloud asked the nervous Cetra.

'Yes, Cloud, I am ready.'

With that, Cloud jumped into the Lifestream. He didn't know exactly where the Holy materia was after it fell from her altar, but he was sure he could find it. He remembered where he placed her body into the Lifestream, and there it lie, perfectly preserved. He frantically searched around, until he spotted a small orb. Racing towards it, he examined it. _Fire2 materia._ Then he noticed that there was a Striking Staff next to it. _Aerith's old materia._ He examined each orb, and found Holy about a foot away from the staff. He then swam over to Aerith, which was a feat in itself, for he had almost run out of air. He held the Holy materia in his left hand, and with his left hand, held Aerith's lifeless hand. Suddenly, he was teleported to another realm, a very large, grassy field judging from what he could see. That's when he saw the humongous monster.

* * *

Vincent examined the now cleaned house. He had woken up at 1:00 AM, judging by his electronic watch, and cleaned Shinra Mansion from top to bottom. It was now 12:00 AM judging from the same watch, and he had worked all day to have everything look nice. Not a speck of dust was visible even to the microscope, not a single piece of trash existed in the mansion. _Just right for Tifa to wake to. Now to make breakfast._ Vincent never seemed to tire, except in battle. But now he had to remember, what was his darling's favorite breakfast. He sat down on a large, desk chair, and took a moment to think. The moment grew into moments, which grew into hours... he had drawn a blank. It shone 6:29 AM on his watch when he finally remembered what she liked.

_Tifa loves omelettes with saut__éed onions, green peppers, and a touch of salt!_ he remembered Cloud's words as he tried to be a chef a while ago. _Might as well run down to Nibel Market and buy these things quickly... _Nibel Market happened to have just gotten a new shipment of fresh vegetables and eggs just as he got there. It cost him 1,248 gil for the required ingredients. Vincent slapped the money on the counter and ran back to Shinra Mansion. _How the hell do I cook omelettes?_ was the question that kept running into his mind as he ran, but he was determined to cook Tifa's favorite food for her. He ran into the masterwork kitchen and looked at a recipebook for egg dishes. "Step one," he read, "grease frying pan, fry eggs into a sort of oval shape? This book is a load of crap, I might as well use Father's recipe for omelettes. He used to make the best omelettes ever..." As he was pulled into an eggy flashback, a rooster crowed out. _Damn, gotta cook this omelette now!_ he thought as he set up the frying pan and the ingredients.

By the time he was done, the omelette looked perfect in everyway. Vincent must've unlocked a weird talent in his cooking, and his Chaos gene surprisingly didn't activate. He walked down to the mansion basement, holding his fresh plate of egg ecstasy in his hands.

**-o-He thinks I didn't activate? The fool! Watch your guard, Valentine, you're letting it down! Tifa will find my surprise quite painful!-o- ** Chaos contemplated within the confines of Valentine's mind, waiting for a day to come. where he can fully release his monstrous spirit...

TBC...

A/N:Well, it wasn't a one shot, like I said. Woo, a big chapter for man, one novella for mankind. Note how I am using 3 sides of different stories.

-Tauren Chieftain


	3. Vincent takes the reins as leader

_The wedding had gone off without a single problem._ Shera Highwind thought as she danced with Cid during the reception. The entire team, and a bunch of their close friends, had been invited, but Vincent and Tifa never arrived. _Ehh, who needs 'em._ Cid's mind pronounced. The reception party had a DJ, balloons of every color, a top notch caterer serving the party, and most of all, Barret. He was the comedian, to the rest of the guests, and was actually somewhat good. "Hon?" Cid asked his new wife as the slow dance ended.

"Where do ya think Vince n' Teef are? They're beginning to worry me."

Shera replied calmly, "I'm not sure, sweetie. Perhaps we can look for them tomorrow."

Barret became frantic. Mainly because: One, he had ran out of jokes. Two, he couldn't find the chocobo haired swordsman. _Damn it, Cloud, why ain't yo spikey ass here, damn it! And where the fuck are you?_ His thoughts were as though an explosion of anger had been set off in his head, and he couldn't even think straight enough to use logic. _Is he doin' it wit' Tifa? I hope he ain't or I'm gonna fuckin' go ballistic on his ass, foo'!_ In his panic, he ran up to Yuffie and Nanaki. They were dancing together, which seemed awkward enough for the wolf, but he surprisingly acted as though he were human.

"Where's Cloud?" he asked the two frantically.

"Beats me," the tailed one replied, "He said something about finally being with his love."

"Yeah," Yuffie had become sharp as the Masamune blade in an instant. "in the context in which he used that, I think he's talking about Aerith." Yuffie and Nanaki then continued to look into eachother's eyes and dance together.

Barret stupidly shot up into the air in his panic, saying, "Where's Cloud? Where is he?" This created a panic among the partygoers, and a handful of them left.

Cid ran over to the gun armed man, saying, "What the fuck do you think yer doin? Yer fuckin' shootin' into the fuckin' sky in fuckin' scarin' off my fuckin' guests!" This long string of curses caused nearly everyone else to leave, except for the happily married and Barret.

"Shera, I'm so sorry that the reception was ruined." Cid ran back over to Shera, his white tuxedo messed up from the running and anger. He was visibly sweating, and nervous as all hell.

Shera smiled, still calm. "It's already a half past nine, Cid. Perhaps it's a bit late?"

Cid answered, "Yeah, I guess. Shall we?"

Cid picked up his bride in a happily married style and carried her to his house. Barret was left alone, once again. He thought randomly for a half hour before going home and falling asleep. But who exactly said that Cid slept? No one did, and neither did Shera...

* * *

The monster looked exactly like Gi Nittak, only it was HUGE. It was so large that it probably could've tossed Meteor at the world, from space. Cloud felt very confident that he would kill the monster, when he notcied something. His sword had disappeared! 

'Aerith, you never told me that I wouldn't have my sword!' Cloud furiously thought. For the third time in his life, he had felt anger towards the former flower girl.

'I... forgot. You lose your weapon, but you keep the materia. I'm so sorry.' Aerith seemed to be almost crying now.

Cloud sighed. 'It's okay to make a mistake, Aerith. It's only human... err... Cetra... either one.' He mentally laughed at his own mistake.

_It was merely a shortcoming. _he thought as he saw the colossal creature. It probably didn't notice him, yet. He remembered, 'The Gi Nittak... it's weak to Holy damage, right?'

'Yes, and this one is at least 25 times as vulnerable. Except to...' Aerith was ignored by Cloud as he reached for an X-Potion from his bag. He threw it at the monster, and it had no effect. The creature turned around and saw the small speck of a human, but couldn't exactly identify it. The monster then turned back around, and Cloud asked mentally, 'what happened? That should've been an instant kill!'

'Like I was saying, before you chose to ignore me, the X Potion is a modern miracle, as is Elixir and Megalixir, but none of these is truly holy. X Potion worked on the first Gi Nittak because it had a different chemical structure than this one, this one is is pure evil.'

'But other potions still work, right?'

'Probably.'

Cloud then immediately grabbed all of the Mega Potions, Hi Potions, and regular Potions he carried, and, using his superhuman ability, threw it all at the monster. They hit dead on, making contact with the monster's head. This barrage of approximately 8,000 potions had nearly the power of Holy on the creature. It shrunk in size, down to a normal sized Gi Nittak. However, he noticed a Slot machine spinning, over and over yet again.

'What the hell? Aerith, can you please enlighten me on what in the seven hells of Dante that is?' Cloud was truly confused about it.

'I... I'm not sure.' Aerith flipped frantically through her spellbook, and noticed something. 'Cripes, it means I've casted the spell wrong. Anything could happen, Cloud. I'm sorry.'

'I'm pretty much boned, right?'

'Probably. Unless...' Aerith flipped through her book like mad again, and spoke again, 'If that slot machine ends up on a zero, or a cherry symbol, you immediately appear by my side. If it appears on a skull symbol, you have 30 seconds to live. I'm not sure about what anything else means...'

'Let's both pray that it ends up on a cherry or a zero sign.' Cloud went into a praying position. _Cetra spells sure are weird._

* * *

Vincent walked downstairs, to the basement where the coffin was. He walked up to it and... _What the hell?_ the timeless man thought as he walked up to the coffin. The coffin was on fire! Vincent panicked for a second, 

"Tifa, Tifa? Where are you?" he shouted into the sky in a fit of rageBut then he saw something else, that the coffin was open. Vincent quickly searched the house for her, to no avail yet again. He pitifully fell to the ground, crying. He cried for 2 whole minutes, before the smoke made him fall unconscious. He fell into a dream...

"Vince, honey?" A female voice asked through a huge fog. Vincent immediately recognized the voice and answered back.

"Lucrecia? Is that you?"

The voice said back to him, "Yes, my love. I am Lucrecia. I see that you've found someone else to love."

"Well of course," Vincent shone the most emotion he had in years. "because you're dead. I'm not as idiotic as that Cloud... but where is she?"

Lucrecia's form walked forward from the smoke. "Please, come back, Vince." Vincent was socked at this, and then realized something. "You... you took her, didn't you? Tifa Lockheart, you've kidnapped her. Somehow you have."

Lucrecia's gentle smile turned into an angry frown. "If you won't come back to me, Vincent, then I'll deal with you my own way. Have fun dealing with Sephir-"

The crying man awoke from his unconsciousness. He remembered the dream and took it as an omen to look for the woman who he desired. He searched all over Nibelheim, after saving Tifa's omelette in the refridgerator, which worked, surprisingly enough. His search results came out to nothing. He wondered, _In that dream, Lucrecia said that I would have to deal with Sephir- then I came back to reality. Perhaps Sephiroth kidnapped her?_ He casted Ice3 a couple times to put out the fire in the basement, which did nothing except char a couple of books and burn out the coffin. Vincent sought help, so he grabbed his stuff (which all fit into a knapsack) and rode on his personal Fenrir to Rocket Town. Perhaps Cid would help, unless he was off on another of thoe crappy get rich quick schemes. _Phlogiston, like Barret said. What a load of garbage._

Vincent's journey took about 3 hours, only because his fenrir was rusty and old. He could barely average 30 miles per hour, let alone match Cloud's speeds. Speaking of, he didn't even awake me at all. the longhaired lover thought as his motorcycle turtled along.

* * *

It was 10:00 PM, judging once again by his electric watch, that he pulled up in front of Cid's home. The sky was dark as ever, the air bitter and cold. As he pulled in, a limousine pulled up to the street as well, when Cid walked out, carryingShera, marriage style, into his home. About 5 minutes later, Cid walked outside to greet his old friend.

"Hey, Vince! My idea worked, I can actually recreate your weapon, and all of our Ultimate Weapons, using phlogiston! Isn't it great?"

"Cid, I need you and the gang's help. Tifa's been kidnapped."

Cid was suddenly suspicious. "She was gone for a long time, Vince. Sleeping with you, a little birdy tells me."

Vincent immediately blushed, and replied, "That's not the point. I need to find her. And where's Cloud?"

Cid responded back, "I thought he was fightin' ya! Well, this whole helpin' you thing. I guess my company and I will help, under one condition. We start tomorrow, and after we save her, you two get married."

Vincent blushed even more. "I have wanted to ask her for a while now. May I sleep outside, here?"

"Sure."

Cid walked back inside, and Vincent fell asleep on top of his rusty fenrir. _Another day, another life saved._

**-o- Damn, my plan has been foiled, at least for now...-o-**

A/N:Sorry it took so long to update, the comp fell and I needed to use the library computers. An hour is never enough time to write a chapter. R&R.

-Master Chief(tain)


	4. Pain, Darkness

The slot machine spun round and round on top of the Gi Nittak and in front of Cloud. _C'mon, PLEASE let it be cherries or zeroes._ the suicidal hero hoped as he prayed that this slot mnachine would be merciful. _Damn, this suspense really blows. Big time._ Aerith was crying in the Cetra world, but still managed to stay in a praying position.

'Aerith, we've both got to stay strong!' the young hero mentally pronounced to the weeping flower girl. Aerith's mind tried to focus on a thought, that she and the hero would make it through this, and started to succeed. She stopped crying but was still shaking badly.

'Okay, Cloud, I'll try.' Cloud smiled at this. The wheel kept spinning, when Cloud mentally pronounced, 'Hey Aerith, if I defeat this creature, what happens?'

The Cetra responded, 'Y-You're supposed to appear next to me in the Promised Land.'

Cloud mentally regained his confidence. 'Well, let's kick some ass!' He raised his fists in the best battle position he could muster, and, even though he had no sword, was confident that his strength would lead him through. Suddenly, the beast said, "Retardo vester criminor!"

Cloud yelled back, "What?"

The Gi Nittak boomed again, "Si to criminor me, machina volo displodo, to voluntas intereo!"

"Like I said, what?"

Aerith sighed, then nervously responded, 'It's talking Latin, Cloud, and it's saying not to attack it because it'll explode the machine, and you'll die.'

'The slots machine?' Cloud was being somewhat stupid on purpose.

'Yes Cloud, the slots machine.'

A rat came out of the Nittak's composure, and spoke to the Strife. "Kumo-baka, seppuku!" The vermin bit Cloud's arm, and Cloud punched it off. 'Aerith, where are these voices coming from?'

'Gi Nittak may be trying to talk to you, in some way. I'd try to talk back. Here, say this.' Aerith told Cloud a sentence in Latin that it would understand. He quoted it to the semi-behemoth.

"Quis an quid are to, portentum?" Cloud recited Aerith's words precisely.

"Ego sum Thrall the herba compos! Auxilium me delecto!"

Aerith told Cloud something else mentally, which Cloud recited flawlessly, as well. "Quam vos fio hic mos?"

Thrall said back, in another language, which was more of a children's code that Cloud could understand. "Ia asway ansportedtra erehay ivefa inutesmay agoa, asay istha onsrositymay! Ia asway oldta otay illka ouyay, osa Iay ustma. Utbay etha otsslay achinema... Iay anca estroyday ita ifay ouya attackay ema anyay orma!

Cloud could understand this, and said mentally to Aerith, 'It's Pig Latin, Aerith, and he seems to be in the exact pickle as me.'

The flower girl sighed. She wasn't nervous anymore, and responded, 'Well, duh. It's not like I wasn't a kid once, Cloudy woudy."

"What did you just call me?" Cloud unfortunately thought this at the same time he said it. He saw something right above his head, and he looked at it. A huge arm came down on him, but he quickly jumped away and casted Bio3 at the beast. His ultimateria ultimastered at that point, glowing a bright green and giving off two dull greenish orbs from itself. The beast was hit by the gooey attack and fell backwards, but then sprang up and struck Cloud hard on the chin. A battle of fist parries and lunges began, and the first slot on the slot machine(out of four) stopped. It's color was a rainbowy silver, its shape an oval. It was a...

* * *

The vixen awoke. She tried to move, but soon found that she was tied up. _She looked around. Hmm, a dark miserable, old basement? On fire? _Tifa immediately knew where she was. She was in the Main Midgar Storehouse Reactor One. She had wandered into it on her first tour of Midgar. _But someone had set it on fire..._ "Hello, young Tifa." A cold, cruel voice spoke to her. 

"Seph... ir..." Something was making her weak, and the smoke was the probable cause of it. But then how come it wasn't affecting the evil guy?

"Tifa... let me tell you now," the captor said, "that you have every right to worry." It was him! Sephiroth had kidnapped her!

"Sephiroth, why are you..." Tifa grew weaker. Suddenly, the fire went out.

"Do you like the dark? It hinders not my vision." Sephiroth stood in bleak darkness.

"No! Please, put it back!" Tifa would rather be able to see than to be weak.

"As you wish, famula." The fire came back, and Sephiroth was clearly visible. "Now then, Tifa. You've been bad. You need to be punished."

Tifa winced at his words. She would be tortured badly, or even worse... She hoped she would merely be tortured. Sephiroth drew a spiked whip out of a small leather bag. Sephiroth's evil grimace was a heaven of angels turning evil and spreading despair. "Oh, Vincent, where are you?"

Sephiroth's grin diminished somewhat, and he asked the young girl. "Why don't you pray for our savior, Cloud?" Tifa's despair increased.

"He disappeared. You probably killed him! You bastard!" Tifa was now filled with rage. Sephiroth laughed evilly, and then talked to the vixen.

"However much I would've loved to kill that spiky headed idiot, I did not. But now, your torture." Sephiroth flipped Tifa onto her back and began maliciously whipping her. _ It's a psychological battle now._ Tifa thought as she yelped in pain from each flog. She needed to convince Sephiroth to free her, or at least keep herself alive.

* * *

Morning came, and the adventurers awoke. "Well, ya other fuckers," Cid addressed his crew, and he was still not over from Barret's ruining of their reception. "ya better have this fucking ship up and runnin' in 30." 

Yuffie blurted out, "Good thing I placed a never dying tracking device on her."

Vincent glared at Yuffie, and then began cooking up plain omelettes for the crew. He had no true mechanical skills, anyhow. His best use now was to cook Grimoire omelettes (as he dubbed them after his father) and serve them to the crew. His claw hand's increased dexterity allowed him to cook 6 omelettes at once, a very handy skill for feeding a crew of approimately 100. Using special vulture eggs, he made an omelette for Red XIII as well. Cid was adjusting the controls and otherwise supervising. Barret was helping the engineers put fuel in the Shera's fuel tank (Yep, he replaced it again.) while Yuffie was checking their weapons and materia settings, and somehow resisting the urge to steal the small, colored, magical orbs. As the bronze clawed man flipped eggs and cut vegetables, Yuffie walked into the huge, army surplus kitchen. Vincent probably wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't for the fact that she brushed his head with her ever long hair.

"Hello, Vincent!" the ninja said in a goofy manner to the stoic gunman.

Vincent sighed, then replied. "You really should be fixing up our materi-"

"Yep," she interrupted. "and you got Summoner duty!" She gave the gunman a red gemmed gun and a red and purple gemmed armor piece. Vincent sighed once more. He HATED summoner duty. The rest of the team would get materia like HP Plus, Steal, even Check, which benefitted a lot to each character's arsenal of magic. BUT the only new command he got was Enemy Skill, which was mandatory for the entire team. Each person had an Enemy Skill Materia, and held it on an old Copper Bangle, a harkening back to the beginning. But the Bangle was now the size of a ring, very convenient for the single materia it holds.

"You hate me, don't you?" Vincent responded. But before Yuffie could talk, he asked, "Is everyone else even close to ready? This is my last batch of omelette that I need to make."

"Well, Barret's done. He had to redo it after he shot a few holes in the tank, but he repaired it and now is ready to rumble!" Yuffie said in a childish manner. "Everyone else said they'll take about 15 more minutes."

"Here." the ex-Turk replied to the ninjq, giving her a HUGE stack of omelettes on plates. "Give these out to the crew, and tell them to thank me and Grimoire Valentine later."

Suddenly, the last omelette he was cooking (for himself) caught fire. The black smoke filled the kitchen almost instantly, and Vincent fell into another dream...

It was a huge grassy field, with no edge in sight. A swordsman figure approached him. "Hello, Vince. Look, you've gotta save her!"

"Cloud?" People from his past that he had not seen were becoming more and more apparent in his dreams.

A/N:Sorry about the time, once again. An hour is NEVER, EVER, nearly long enough to write a chapter.

-Master(Tauren)Chieftain


	5. The Adventure truly begins!

Vincent couldn't believe his eyes. Cloud, who had been missing for quite a while, was now right in front of him.

"Vince," the chocobo haired swordsman said to him, "where'd you come from?" A huge montrosity that vaguely looked like a Gi Nittak stood behind him, and a set of slots above its head.

'Vincent?' Aerith could be heard by both of them. 'What happened?'

"I was cooking an omelette according to my father's recipe when we teleported here." Vincent loosely spat out. In their current condition, there was no hope for the adventurers. They were pretty much doomed, to Vincent's perspective. 2 of the 3 slot reels were still spinning, and the one that had stopped had landed on a weird looking zero.

'This is weird,' Cloud thought, 'but look!' The reel that had stopped on a zero was sucking in the Nittak!

"And Vince?" the blonde asked the emo gunman. "Whatever happened to Tifa?"

Before Vincent could answer his answer that would make Cloud kill him, a dark cloud erupted from his chest. This formed itself into a dragon shape, with 2 demonic wings, 6 limbs, and 2 heads. It truly looked strange, and was growing rapidly. Soon it was as big as the Gi Nittak that had been before it.

"Chaos." Vincent spoke. But suddenly, he began to disappear! Vincent could feel himself slipping from the reality of the grass field.

"Cloud! Tifa didn't die! She came to me..." Vincent greatly angered Cloud as he disappeared into a huge puff of smoke.

'I told you so.' Aerith told Cloud, referring to his decision to go with her in the Promised Land. Suddenly, the Strife disappeared as well. But his first sight in where ever he went wasn't real...

* * *

Cid checked over everything that had needed to be done, on his clipboard. _The crew had been fed, fuel refilled, Materia placed, One Winged Angel theme music readied..._ He went down the checklist, checking at what had been done, which was was everything. He noticed strange black smoke come from the kitchen. He quickly opened the door, getting himself a blast of the smoke, to notice Vincent getting up. The kitchen's normally chrome interior was blackened by the smoke, and it was an honest-to-God strange sight. Vincent walked out, carrying what looked like a piece of toast in his hand. 

"Don't ask, Cid. Just let me eat my omelette." Vincent took a bite of the "toast" and walked into the huge airship. Yuffie and Nanaki, holding hands, soon followed onto the ship.

Barret walked up to Cid and asked him, "Why can't we stay home?"

Cid got furious at the retarded gunarmed man and simply said to him, "To save Tifa from Sephiroth's evil! Now get on the fuckin' ship!" Barret did as he was told, and 5 minutes later, Cid arrived in the cockpit of the Shera. Only one word could be used to describe the new cockpit: plush. Everything, from the buttons and steering wheel to the ceiling of it was covered in purple plushness. Vincent and the others all sat down, and waited for their pilot to get onboard. _I wonder what that was about? Lucrecia probably should've been in that segment of passing out._ Vincent thought as he sat on the annoyingly plush seats. They didn't even have a battle briefing yet. Everyone was anxious, except for Yuffie and Nanaki, who were... making out? But no one noticed them, they were all too anxious yo notice.

_Well, that's everything, now let's save the Teef!_ Cid thought as he lit a cigarette in his mouth. Everything was ready, except the battle plan. Normally Cloud or Tifa would make this part up, but since Cloud was... away, and Tifa was kidnapped by Sephiroth, it was up to him. Vincent wouldn't make the plan, for some reason. This was really screwing him over! Perhaps they could make a sidestop at the new town of Port Kilika first, there were some excellent tacticians there.

"C'mon, Cid!" Barret yelled out from the Shera. Cid sighed and walked into the ship. "A'right, settle down, settle down. We're gonna make a li'l sidestop at Port Kilika b'fore we fight Sephiroth." Everyone agreed to this and the Shera took off!

* * *

Tifa writhed in pain at her tormentor's flogs. Sephiroth was torturing the dolphin haired woman with a spiked whip. Suddenly, though, he stopped. His evil grimace turned even eviller as Sephiroth put down the whip. 

"Alas, prisoner." Sephiroth boomed cruelly at Tifa. "That was... insufficient. I'm afraid I'll have do bring out the big guns..." Tifa responded not a word back to him, but silently prayed that she would come out of this situation intact. She prayed that Vincent would save her, and that she would have her innocence, and that she would stay alive, to show Vincent her ablity to play the piano, and maybe even find Cloud. Although she could never find it in her heart to forgive him, they could be friends, maybe.

Sephiroth reached into the bag, and pulled out something that horrified her. It looked to be made of pink plastic, and was about 1 foot long. Tifa had heard of these, but never actually seen one! Luckily for her, Sephiroth had less sinister purposes for it, as he turned it on. It began vibrating very fast, and Sephiroth held it near Tifa's eye. It struck fear into Tifa's soul, for he could effectively destroy her eye right now. Just a little push... no. She had to survive!

"Please! Don't kill me!" Tifa shrieked at Sephiroth.

"What, you don't like being jabbed in the eye? I know something else that would befit you more properly..."

* * *

Cloud looked around at his new surroundings. A gigantic mountain was in his sight, and it was surrounded by water. He was standing on a large, wooden vessel. On his wrist, the slots stayed, engraved into his hand. Suddenly, he realized something. The ship: 1.)had sails, 2.)was carrying a huge amount of men and 3.)the flag was Nibelheim's. 

"Hello, m'boy!" one of the men said. "Welcome to the Sunken City! We're headin' up to that mountain to recover some of the equipment there. It was called M.A.K.O. for some reason, I wonder why?" The man talked with a heavy British accent, and wore fine clothes.

'Aerith?' he thought to the Cetra. 'Are you still there?'

'Yes, I am, Cloudy woudy.'

'Stop callin' me that. We need to find a way outta here! I remember...' Cloud reminisced about the decision of the people from his time. 'They put a nuclear trap there, Aery weary.' The swordsman was wearing his normal clothing, and had his sword back.

'Dilly dally shilly shally.' The Cetra spoke to the suicidal person. Cloud sighed. Aerith was pulling some trick in a serious situation, and it was annoying. _Think, Cloud, think!_

A/N:Sorry I haven't updated in forever, I have been infatuated with FFX(again) and Warcraft III. Please read and review.

-m4$73r 74ur3n ch13f741n

-Master Tauren Chieftain, in leetspeak.


	6. Sephiroth?

The Shera flew in what seemed to be an endless journey. Port Kilika was formed very, VERY close to Wutai, and yet, they still could not fly there in a short period of time.

"So, Yuffie," Vincent Valentine said to the young ninja. "ever play Truth or Dare?"

"Omigosh!" Yuffie yelled out. "I love that game! Hey... wanna play?"

Vincent quickly remembered his past experiences with that game, and was sorry that he had brought it up to her. "No." he replied. But he knew, that now Yuffie wouldn't stop whining 'til she'd played a game of Truth or Dare.

"Aww, come on. Please?" Yuffie whined at the gunman. Vincent sighed.

"Fine, I'll play one round. ONE. You first."

Yuffie laughed with glee. "Okay, Vince, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth." Vincent gulped. Yuffie was now in control.

"Have you... ever done it w-" The young'un was interrupted by Cid.

"Yuffie! Focus on our god damn mission!" Cid was fumed. Vincent managed to stay stoic, but on the inside, was rocked by fear. When Cid got mad, he had road rage...

"Forget you, old man!" Yuffie was now asking for trouble.

Before Cid could respond, Nanaki said, "Stop fighting! We're already hovering over Port Kilika!"

Cid looked out of a window. _Yep, we're there._ Cid regained calmness and sat back at the pilot's chair, when he landed the ship. The team walked out of the airship and onto a rickety pier. Vincent looked to his right, at a sign made from a piece of old cardboard. _Port Kilika. _The team walked out, with Vincent leading. After all, with Cid's bitter cursing, Yuffie's wisemouthedness, Nanaki's being a fire wolf, and Barret's gun arm, he was the most charismatic to these people, despite his claw hand and apparent emoness.

"Cid. You watch the Shera, maybe mix up a bit of cocktails." Vincent ordered Cid, knowing that he would make the cocktails efficiently... even if he would drink half of them on the spot. Cid groaned at this and walked back into the Shera. But anyone could tell that his face showed joy that he would have to do almost nothing.

"Yuffie. You start "collecting" things off the ground. We need money to hire a tactician, and I'm not fighting a thousand Razor Wire monsters." Vincent ordered the ninja now.

"Hai!" Yuffie jumped off to a nearby house.

"Nanaki and Barret, you come with me. You'll be our side negotiators..." Vincent stopped in the process of ordering Nanaki and Barret to notice something.

The entire city was on weak wooden piers. All of the houses were merely huts. And the Shera was on the end of one of those piers.

Vincent ran into the ship. "Cid! Look out! Take off!"

But Cid was passed out, in the few seconds he had been on the ship, he had made 32 "Manhattans", and drank them all. Suddenly a groaning noise was heard, and a loud snap followed.

The Shera took the plunge.

* * *

Tifa greatly feared what Sephiroth would do next. A vibrating piece of pink plastic was one inch away from her eye, and he could shove it directly into her eye and effectively destroy it. So she said the only thing she could think of. 

"Please don't kill me!" Tifa shrieked at her captor.

"What, you don't like being jabbed in the eye? I know something that would befit you more." Sephiroth evilly said. _But she could really use some rest,_ he thought. Out of this pity, he concealed her in a five foot by five foot black box.

"Rest. I shall give you 10 hours." Sephiroth tried to hold back the kindness in his voice, and failed a quite a bit.

Tifa was relieved at this, and sighed as she fell into a deep slumber. But she could only try to ask herself, 'What did I do to deserve this?'

'You didn't.' a voice, possibly her subconscious, answered. 'Cloud did. Vincent did.' She was now dreaming.

'I know Cloud did, but Vincent...'

'Should've been protecting you.' the voice interrupted her.

Suddenly, the scene in her dream changed. From utter bleak darkness and non existence she had a form. Or, at least, she could see.

"Sorry I'm late." A younger version of Tifa appeared walking around the side of a well. _No, not this memory! Not again!_ The memory swirled and swirled around in her mind, replaying itself over and over again, when suddenly, she awoke with a loud... thump? She had hit the ground. She tried to stretch out, but realized that she was tied up, and remembered that she had been kidnapped.

"Good morning, Tifa." Sephiroth evilly spoke to Tifa. He remembered, using his stellar sense of time, that it was 9:43 AM. "Before you say a word, Tifa, We are moving to a new place, and I have a something new to show you."

He laughed evilly, and then said to the vixen, "I am going to untie you. Should you try to escape, you shall die. Or worse... We are going to a ride to the Temple of the Ancients. You shall not make a sound while we fly. Do I make myself clear?"

Tifa's response was a very nervous yes, and Sephiroth began untying the vixen.

_Now's your chance, Tifa! Save yourself while he's not suspecting!_ Tifa contemplated in her mind for a second, before responding to herself, 'No. He said he'd kill me or worse if I tried anything. And you know what worse is...' Sephiroth picked Tifa up like a child, and flew off, breaking the roof of the building.

As Midgar disappeared behind them, and Junon drew closer, Tifa pitifully asked his captor, "W-what are you planning to do with me?" Sephiroth's response was his finger to her lips and an evil laugh. _Oh boy, this isn't gonna end good._ Tifa's subconscious told Tifa as they flew over Junon and even further towards the Temple of the Ancients. _Vincent, my love, please save me!

* * *

_

Cloud warned the man, "Listen. There's a nuclear bomb there, ready to blow. We need to turn back now."

The man merely laughed in his annoying accent and said, "We took that out over 600 years ago! We just didn't have the hindsight to grab the machinery before the Great Melting..."

"The Great Melting?" Cloud was curious once more. The man merely handed him a map, which was much different from the one he'd known.

Wutai was now further south, and all of the mountainous regions were the only land left on the map. Midgar was floating above the water of course, but Nibelheim, as he could see, was now a coastal town. New cities were clustered around the Northern Continent, and the Gold Saucer had relocated to right next to North Corel. Rocket Town was also clustered up to North Corel, and every other town was gone. Completely not on the map.

'Aerith, do you see this?' Cloud asked her in his mind. But suddenly, he felt an urge to scratch his wrist. He then noticed that a second wheel had stopped spinning, landing on a zero again! _Yes!_ the spiky haired swordsman cheered to himself, but then, he was sucked through it!

When Cloud finally came to, he saw a strange sight. He was in midair, with some sort of gravity defying boots, hovering over Junon. He looked around, and noticed something flying straight towards him at breakneck speed.

It was wearing a black cape.

A/N:Hey, finally updated! Also, If there's anything you want me to consider, like possibly a story twist, you just review this story! (I don't check the emails much. Review please! And don't worry. This story'll go on for a looooooong time...

-Tauren, Master Chief of H0RD3 UN1T 001

(a.k.a. Master Tauren Chieftain)


	7. Tifa forgives Cloud

"Cid!" Vincent's cry was unheard by the passed out pilot. He quickly jumped over to the plush captain's chair, and frantically pushed buttons in hope that one would save them. Water began to gush in from the open door. _Damn it, one of you work!_ he thought. _We'll never save Tifa without an airship! C'mon, work!_ Vincent then noticed a button labeled EJECT. Having pushed all of the controls there to no avail, he pushed it in hope that it would save himself. The rapidly sinking ship was half full of water when Vincent finally pushed a button that helped. Vincent's seat sprung out of the sinking airship, and he landed on the ever weak pier with a thump.

"Wait a second... Cid!" In his short last stay on the Shera, he had forgotten about their pilot! But it was much too late to save him. The ship was far underwater now, and the only thing that could be seen coming from where the ship was was bubbles of air escaping from the ship.

"What happened?" Nanaki and Barret asked Vincent at the same time.

Vincent pulled himself together. He could not lose his stoicness in front of his two teammates, or they might not respect him as much.

"The dumbass Cid landed on obviously weak wooden piers here, that's what happened." Vincent said to his fellow fighters, regaining his scariness immediately and without flaw. "So the airship fell into the water. I tried to save him, but he was passed out. It was either me or him, and which would you honestly prefer?"

Nanaki and Barret pointed at their gunman leader in a way that made him the obvious choice.

"But now, Vince. We have no airship now. We won't ever be able to catch him without it." Barret responded logically.

"That's why we're here. How do you think people get here? Boats and airships." Vincent stated to his fighters. "So we're gonna hire one of them."

"That's your plan?" Barret yelled at the gunman, "C'mon, foo'! That's some bull right there! Why can't you make a betta' plan, foo'?"

"Well then," Vincent was beggin' for trouble again. "do YOU have a plan?"

Barret was silent as Nanaki broke the newly created ice, "Let's hire a pilot already!"

Vincent knew this as well. Pilots costed money to rent them and their airships, and a tactician to make them a battle plan would be too expensive. "C'mon." The new leader began walking away and towards the huts, the wolf standing on two feet following behind him.

"Aww," was Barret's statement as he followed them.

* * *

Cid awoke from a drunken slumber. _Huh, what the hell? _ He walked to a window of his airship, and looked outside. _Fish, eh? That's screwed up. And where am I supposed to be? Port... Junon, right?_ It was then that he noticed that he was waist deep in water. 

"Ahh!" he screamed in shock at the water. _I must've fallen asleep as I was flyin' or something!_ Cid walked over to the other side of his airship, and looked out of the window. He noticed wooden poles jutting from the bedrock. _A pier? More like a city of... piers._ He walked over, through the water on the slowly dissolving cheap plush, to the pilot's chair. _Funny, someone used the eject chairs feature._ The cursin' pilot walked over to the "assistant pilot's" chair. He had never had an assistant pilot in his LIFE. He kept the flight controls there, and the random unnecessities at the main control pad. He pressed a series of red buttons on his control panel to turn the airship into a submarine. All of the water was forced out, and the ship rose to the surface.

What he saw was not a coastal, somewhat tropical town.

He saw a disaster.

* * *

_Is that really Sephiroth?_ Cloud asked himself as he followed the target. Within a minute he learned how to control these 'antigravity boots'. He noticed, again, that Aerith wasn't talking to him._ Of course. I can only talk to her when my body is in her Sanctuary._ _But where... am I? Has this all just been a dream? Because I would still be in it... but I must catch Sephiroth! I will! He shall escape!_ He found his Buster Sword and drew it, and suddenly became aware of the slots playing across the Buster Sword's hilt. One was a zero, the second was a zero as well. But the last one was still spinning, and spinning, and spinning still. 

Cloud tracked Sephiroth for about 5 minutes before he started to descend. _He hadn't noticed me. Excellent._ Sephiroth descended towards the Temple of the Ancients, when he noticed Sephiroth holding something. _Is that Tifa? That means that Vincent was lying! Tifa didn't sleep with him! He wishes... but I've gotta save her! Aerith, lend me the strength to..._ Cloud suddenly felt something virulent within him. _A virus? I just appeared here not more than 6 minutes ago!_ He began to drop, spiraling still. Cloud fell unconscious in a mere 10 seconds after he fell. That's when he began to reawake.

But he wasn't on Earth at all. He awoke on a giant platform, with a picture of a beautiful woman in the mosaics on the platform. _Aerith? Where the hell am I? This entire adventure has sucked!_ A few seconds later, an image appeared of Sephiroth. He recognized it almost immediately.

'Aerith? Are you here?' Cloudy-woudy said to the image. The image was Sephiroth, carrying Tifa away from him. He remembered it from Nibelheim... to his knowledge, at lest. Tifa was unconscious in his arms and Sephiroth's grin couldn't be eviller. But then, he saw the image being sucked away from the platform, and afterwards, the platform began to disappear as well. Shadows began to engulf him, and suddenly, he felt powerless to jump away or fight the shadows. _This isn't worth it!_

"Gah!" Cloud panted and panted.

'Cloud!' Aerith's soothing voice appeared in his head.

"Are you alright, son?" The British man said to him. "You took a little spill there." The emo chocobo headed swordsman then looked up. He had lost a leg! Cloud felt the urge to scream as loud as he could, but only mustered up the strength to ask what happened.

The accented noble held his hat in disgrace as he spoke. "You were right, Cloud. We had false information, the bomb exploded, and you were already unconscious. Your weird little armlet thing stopped spinning though. Here it is." The man handed the slots bracelet to Cloud, who looked at it. It shone, two zeroes and a...

* * *

Sephiroth's evil grin did not help Tifa's scaredness as they flew. Out of nowhere, Tifa felt the urge to scratch right behind her knee. She reached to do so, and apparently, Sephiroth's hand beat hers to the spot! 

"That tracking device is ugly, Tifa." Sephiroth spoke again, and Tifa's hand flew back to her side. Sephiroth allowed her a half second glimpse at the device, and then threw into the ocean. _Tracking device? Who put it there, and what is the thing that Sephiroth wants to show me? Please, oh PLEASE let it be something not painful!_ Sephiroth began to descend towards the Temple of the Ancients, and Tifa sighed. She was growing more and more nervous by the second, as Sephiroth grew more and more evil by the second.

In a lightning quick dash, Sephiroth tied Tifa back down to the altar which Aerith died on, and looked into the water. Next to Aerith's dead body was... Cloud's dead body? _And they're even holding hands, too! Thanks a lot, Cloud Strife! Way to keep your promise! I hate you!_

Just then, a vision of Cloud appeared to her. 'Tifa! You've got to survive! Listen, I thought you were dead! You weren't anywhere!'

_Because I was staying at Nibelheim with Vincent... This is all my fault. If I'd just waited a tiny bit more for him to get home... if I hadn't hired a drive to Nibelheim and gone in with him. But Cloud had just broke my heart, on the most important night of the year for us! I had no one else to go to!_

Tifa's thoughts stopped when Sephiroth said to her, "Tifa? Your surprise is right here and waiting." He pulled out a...

A/N:Sorry that my chapters have been being short lately. Like I said earlier, I am swallowed up in FFX and Warcraft 3 again, and my vacation from school's ended. :P

And before I go... HAPPY 10,000th word in this novella, self!

-Master Tauren Chieftain


	8. Lots of pain, lots of hope

After about two hours of searching for a pilot, they finally gave up. Kilika seems to have a whole other section on land. Vincent sighed, "Let's just get a drink, and see if maybe one of these taverns has a pilot for hire." 

Nanaki replied, "I guess so. It's not like there's any flying companies except for Cid... that would even dream of undertaking this mission." Barret lead them into a building obviously designed to look like a thatched cottage. The inside actually looked futuristic. The walls curved down and up to reach the floors and ceiling, and it was all silver metal. In the center of it, there was a bar, with about 5 stools surrounding it, and the bar itself was made of bronze. The two people that were inside was one man, who looked down on his luck, and the bartender, who looked very old. "Heya gentlemen," he announced to them in a deep tone. "What can I get ya?"

Vincent replied, "I'll pass."

Nanaki responded, "Ya got Chicken Milk?" Chicken Milk was a drink comprised of cream of chicken soup, milk, and about a cupful each of several different types of liquor, served warm. It was really a niche drink, but those who liked it payed its hefty cost. The materials for it couldn't have costed more than 5 gil per drink, but due to the technique required to make it, and the rarity of people who can mix it, it had a price tag of 1,000 gil.

Barret sighed, "Beer." The bartender swiftly prepared those drinks and handed them to their respective orderers.

"I can't believe that we failed our mission." Vincent stared down at the bar.

"C'mon, Vince, there was no way we coulda hired someone for that!" Barret tried to cheer the gunman up. "It's a deathwish. Sephiroth is one evil son of a-"

"Sephiroth?!?" The bartender interrupted Barret's words. "I knew Sephiroth... I trained the bastard." The three stared at the bartender with shock.

"He didn't really pay back my favor too well though. He tried to kill me!"

Barret laughed. "He tries to kill everyone he sees!"

"Barret, who doesn't know that. Sephiroth is world news."

"Shut up ya little fuckin' dog!"

"Dog?!?" Nanaki's eyes became aflame with anger.

"Settle down." Vincent tried to settle the two down, then turned to the bartender. "So you trained Sephiroth eh?"

"Sure did."

"Then tell me... what was his number?" The red one was shocked as this bartender answered him correctly. "Hey, we could use a guy like you..."

"Fer what?" The old bartender seemed inquisitive. Sephiroth's mention made him angry for revenge on the inside.

"Well," Nanaki stated, "we need a battle plan. See, Sephiroth kidnapped Vincent's lover" Vincent blushed. "and we need to save her. We need a battle plan, and you would know his strengths and weaknesses..."

The bartender announced, "I'll do it!" He pulled out a shotgun from under the table. "Let's go!"

Vincent chuckled. "Heh, now all we need is a pilot."

"Hey!" The man who seemed down on his luck removed his cap, revealing red hair. "I was training to be a pilot!"

* * *

Cloud looked at his slots bracelet with disbelief. It was two zeroes and a... an olive? 

'Aerith? What does it mean if there's an olive?' Cloud mentally asked Aerith. He was currently floating on a piece of debris which apparently survived a nuclear blast.

'An... olive?' Aerith flipped through the book, for a definition. 'That means... I'm not sure. I need to consult the Elder. Hold on, Cloud.' Aerith left Cloud's mental presence.

"Well, at least we live. Maybe we'll float to Wutai." The man who floated with him sighed.

The chocobo haired swordsman had an idea. "Were there any Materia that were destroyed in that blast?"

The man nodded. "Probably. T'was right next to Mount Nibel."

Cloud nodded. "Well, move over a bit. To the same side as me." The man did as he was told, and then Cloud moved his feet through the water in such a way that allowed them to move very fast. Soon, they literally flew through the air. They hit Wutai in less than a half hour, and, well, it was puny. It was the city, a few other islands... and that was it. As they jumped onto the beach, a dragon-shaped cloud of black dust settled down from the air, quickly taking the shape of a demonic figure.

"Chaos!" they both exclaimed.

"Huh?" Cloud was flabbergasted that this man knew what Chaos was. "How do you know about Chaos?"

"Who doesn't know about Chaos is a better question to ask, boy!" the man spoke excitedly. "We're about to become it's next meal!" Chaos suddenly lunged forward, in an attempt to rip Cloud in half. They both jumped to the sides, and the man drew a very large laser from his coat. "Th'name's Eric, boy!" He shot a beam directly at its head, causing it to momentarily writhe in pain before swiftly turning around and running at Eric. Cloud however, jumped a foot in front of him and parried Chaos' claw with his Buster Sword.

"Dodge to the side and hit it some more! I can't hold out too long!" Chaos heard this and turned towards the man, giving up its guard, allowing a clean slice of its right claw. But it regenerated it instantly and sped towards the laser shooter! He was ground into mincemeat by Chaos' claws. Although this was still a horror to behold, it gave Cloud enough of an opportunity to run into the city. By the time Chaos had paid attention to Cloud, he wasn't there. He dissipated into a cloud of fine sand...

Cloud met up with about 200 town guards, who aimed at Cloud at the same time, yelling the same phrase. "FREEZE!"

* * *

Sephiroth's evil grin barely forecasted what was to come. "Your surprise, Tifa, is this!" He pushes Tifa onto a table, where she falls over onto it and it shackles her in and spreads her limbs apart. Sephiroth then reaches for a nailgun on the ceiling. It was obvious that he had been planning this for awhile. 

"You can't do this!" Tifa shouted out. "Lemme go!" Sephiroth responded to this by placing a ball gag over her mouth. He then drew a nailgun from the side. He was certainly planning this for awhile. He aimed carefully at her hand, so it would hit both nerve and bone, and then fired. It spurted blood everywhere. Tifa tried to scream, but it came out as more of a muffled yell. He proceeded to do the same for Tifa's other hand, by which then Tifa was already visibly crying. He then simply nailed her feet to the table, and laughed maniacally. "Do you like that, Tifa? Do you like feeling limitless pain?"

Tifa shook her head, to which Sephiroth responded, "You're gonna feel the pain that you caused me, Tifa." His voice was lifeless, and without any regret of any sort. 'Come on, Tifa, you can get through this!' Tifa kept trying to tell herself that, but then the ball gag got in the way. 'You can survive! So what if no one'll save you? You can save yourself!' Tifa tried to reassure herself of that, when Sephiroth lit a match. He placed it at the back of her hair, and it started to burn. He struck another and put it into Tifa's right hand's nail-wound, causing great pain. He laughed maniacally again as he spun the table around, faster and faster, with more and more speed, until Tifa vomited all over herself.

"You know now of a sliver of the pain you've caused me," announced the silver haired captor, "but you will feel the rest in due time." Sephiroth drew a small, multihooked knife, and removed Tifa's upper clothing (save for underclothes). He carved a small pentagram around her belly button, and traced a circle around her midriff with it. He licked a bit of the blood.

"Tifa... You taste delicious."

He then dragged a piece of barbed wire down her arms, making sure that it would cause major pain, and up to her head. By now. the flame had caught up to just below her shoulder, where he then removed Tifa's long hair at the shoulder, letting the burning remains of the rest fall onto the floor.

Sephiroth prepared for something much more sinister. He put the knife to Tifa's waist and laughed maniacally...

A/N: Woo! I'm back! Here's a new chapter, but still... woot! Today marks the exact 7 month anniversary of me not adding a chapter to this story, and I did! Woot, R&R!

-Master Tauren Chieftain


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